House of Representatives

Answer from Jim Chalmers

The Treasurer stated that food inflation over the last year was 3.0 per cent, compared to 5.9 per cent in the final year of the previous government. He argued that the opposition had opposed measures such as tax cuts, energy bill relief, and cheaper medicines. He noted that the cost-of-living index showed lower growth in living costs across all household types compared to the time of the election, indicating progress in reducing inflation.

Answer from Richard Marles

The Deputy Prime Minister listed measures including cheaper medicines, affordable childcare, energy bill relief, real wage growth, and tax cuts. He stated that inflation had fallen from 6.1 per cent to 2.4 per cent and that the government had delivered two budget surpluses. He warned that the opposition's plan to cut $350 billion in services and fund a $600 billion nuclear power scheme would require cuts to Medicare and other services, leaving households worse off.

Answer from Jim Chalmers

The Treasurer stated that rents would have been higher without Commonwealth rent assistance, which the opposition had previously criticised. He noted that rent growth in the December quarter was 0.6 per cent, with an annual increase of 6.4 per cent. He argued that the opposition's proposed $350 billion in cuts would include removing housing support, thereby worsening rental pressures.

Answer from Jim Chalmers

The Treasurer described the government's strategy of relief, repair, and reform, citing tax cuts, energy bill relief, cheaper medicines, and rent assistance. He claimed the opposition lacked credible economic policies and would need to cut $350 billion in services and find $600 billion for nuclear power, likely by targeting Medicare and hospitals. He contrasted this with the government's $1.7 billion investment in public hospitals.

Answer from Tanya Plibersek

The Minister stated that the Liberals and Nationals had teamed up with the Greens to block the nature-positive laws in the Senate. She argued that the Greens had not supported a strong environmental protection agency with new powers, while the opposition had voted against faster project approvals. She highlighted the government's achievements, including expanding marine protections and saving the Great Barrier Reef from an endangered listing, contrasting these with the opposition's record.

Answer from Anne Aly

The Minister reported that over one million families had saved on out-of-pocket costs and that 200,000 workers were eligible for a 15 per cent wage increase. She noted a 22 per cent drop in vacancy advertisements and an increase of 97,000 children in care. She announced a $1 billion investment in regional services and a three-day guarantee for early learning. She warned that the opposition's lack of policy and focus on corporate lunches would leave families worse off.

Answer from Jim Chalmers

The Treasurer stated that the opposition had voted against gas price caps and electricity bill relief at the end of 2022. He argued that inflation was lower and falling under the current government compared to when they took office. He accused the opposition of abandoning middle Australia on various cost-of-living measures and claimed they would prefer higher inflation for political gain.

Answer from Jason Clare

The Minister stated that if Labor won the election, student debt would be cut by 20 per cent, benefiting three million Australians. He provided examples of debt reductions in specific electorates, such as Swan and Sturt. He contrasted this with the opposition's policy of providing taxpayer-funded lunches for businesses, which he claimed would cost up to $1.6 billion annually.

Answer from Jim Chalmers

The Treasurer acknowledged that insurance was a significant driver of inflation, partly due to frequent natural disasters. He stated that the government was funding natural disaster relief and response. He challenged the Shadow Treasurer to provide alternative policies for reducing premiums, noting that the opposition included disaster recovery in their list of wasteful spending.

Answer from Catherine King

The Minister announced a $7.2 billion investment in the Bruce Highway to achieve a three-star safety rating. She highlighted the highway's importance for supply chains during recent floods. She warned that the opposition's $350 billion in cuts and $600 billion nuclear plan would jeopardise infrastructure funding, including road and rail projects.

Answer from Tanya Plibersek

The Minister confirmed that the legislation had passed the House of Representatives but was blocked in the Senate by the Liberals, Nationals, and Greens. She stated that the bill had been withdrawn from the Notice Paper because there was no path through the current parliament. She argued that the laws needed reform to protect nature and provide faster decisions for business.

Answer from Ed Husic

The Minister stated that the government had invested $2 billion in production credits to support low-emission aluminium production, potentially opening up $122 billion in annual exports. He cited support from industry leaders and workers. He warned that the opposition's nuclear power plan and lack of transparency on cuts threatened these manufacturing jobs.

Answer from Richard Marles

The Deputy Prime Minister stated that the Australian Federal Police had offered assistance to Laos authorities, but this offer had not yet been accepted. He confirmed that the Minister for Foreign Affairs had spoken to her counterpart in Laos, urging a thorough investigation. He assured the families that the government remained in contact with Laos authorities and would continue to press for accountability.

Answer from Matt Keogh

The Minister stated that the government had hired 500 additional claims-processing staff, reducing wait times and processing over 100,000 claims in the last financial year compared to 53,508 in 2021-22. He noted that veterans had received $13 billion in benefits. He warned that the opposition's plan to cut 36,000 public service roles would jeopardise these services.

Answer from Tanya Plibersek

The Minister stated that the legislation had been withdrawn from the Notice Paper because it could not pass the Senate in the current parliament. She expressed disappointment that the parliament could not agree on necessary environmental law reforms based on the Professor Graeme Samuel report.

Answer from Tony Burke

The Minister cited the Nixon review, which found serious integrity issues in the previous visa system, including exploitation and human trafficking. He noted that compliance staff had been cut under the previous government. He referenced comments from Sir Bill Browder supporting the abolition of the significant investor visa, which the opposition wanted to restore. He accused the opposition of wanting to bring back a discredited visa and diverting police resources.

Answer from Tony Burke

The Minister explained that casual workers are not counted in the employee threshold, meaning a business with 16 employees could be much larger in reality. He argued that raising the threshold to 25 would exempt many highly casualised workplaces from workers' rights. He stated that the government had not supported the change to ensure workers retained their rights.